Equalizing

Sunday morning PyZahl needed some time to get up, but got his Morning ceremony, a Cappuccino, a just perfect cooked egg -- he likes it best just at the phase transition towards medium -- a big slice of his special home made Sour Dough Rye bread... and (he is not telling what he likes on it now)... finished in optimal timing, loaded the bike into his car, it felt just a very little chilly just at sun rise, so he figured the short shirt will do it today, and headed to Manorville KK, the Early Birds gathering location for the usual ride, a so very traditional ride as he learned a while ago -- the ride seams to originate back into the early 80s.
There, it felt so much more chilly, he was a bit freezing but as he also learned, that's alright for the first 1/2 hour and hoped for the best and sun. Other riders were showing up with long sleeves, one even with long pant, but also some with all short as him -- a well mix.

Just 5' late they rolled off the parking lot -- North. At decent speed, slight little constant and noticeable head wind was blowing, they passed some shivering cold spot, PyZahl like the warm once so much more. That patch of gravel was still there -- reminds him on the D2R2. From there the speed again increased on Sound Ave. No big deal so far, he got a few good and not too long pull in by now. Sudden while going into the wind on Penny Ln the usual sprint at "The Tanks" started out, he made it up the little hill but then lost some power and got dropped, damn -- that't did not happened for a while he thought -- but good he has some excuses: He did a reasonable speedy MTB ride the day before, he missed a decent lunch and dinner on Friday, he was still little shivering -- a cold engine is never good -- and he was looking for a tree, but cant do this now... hoping to catch up at the first reassembly point -- he pushed at constant velocity into the wind, but lost them out of sight. Getting to the point of hope, well, he saw them just departing, too far ahead o-) No rest, proceeding on his own all the long way to the Deli stop in Cutchogue -- into the wind. However, he managed to keep an average of 33km/h until there.

Good to see them all again.
Good to find a tree, finally.
Good to have a hot coffee.
Good to eat a Cliff Bar.
Good to have a little rest for recovery.

And good to start out together for the second half -- only 40km out of 89km. Let's see how that works. It got warmer, he felt much more comfortable now. Less wind. He stayed a bit more in the cozy back and just took a few very short pulls. Pretty good moving. Approaching the incline of 51 the usual game stared as no one want to take a pull before that... But once on the incline speed picked up and power was put into the machines, they started flying along in a fast and rotating double paceline, moving with about 50km/h on left and passing with over 53km/h on right to the front drifting to the left and slowing slightly... just great and fun. Some how PyZahl got back his energy and was back on same level staying in the game and front group until finish :-) Average: 38.0km/h.

The North Route.
The Speed Distribution:

-?- It's all about time -?- it all about distance -?- to get them all -?-

The Desert

20070929095829 (1st photo stop) Logbuch des Lightriders alias Humwee:

Saturday, 22C, 55%, some wind (who cares), clear sky, RP N entrance 40°56'44.07"N 72°55'8.81"W.

An older log of this trail:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/kml/episode.kml?episodePkValues=3173794

Not much going on this day, PyZahl was wondering -- as it was a perfect day for a dirt ride. He took his big bike, it felt really good and so smooth, as he got more used to the hard tailed bikes lately. It was fun flying over the trail -- just leaving a trail of dust behind, something around 1h45 for all of it -- going not so fast at all.

Whitmore's Landscaping Super Cross Cup

---- Just a reminder -- participate and watch the pros later or watch only... -----

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Whitmore's Landscaping Super Cross Cup Day 1 UCI C1

Presented by
Hampton Velo Club

Southampton, NY

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Online Registration Closes
Thursday, October 04, 2007 at 5:00 PM ET

Go here:

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=5253

Just for the logbook & getting dusty

Lunch time 5mi run w John. CP nite ride, MTB+TF w Kris - pretty loose and sandy at sections, both little cimbs are ridable, some mulch was put down. Quite dusty ride...

The moon from the parking lot.

some playing....

Camp update & one more sun set swim

One more great late summer day! The morning started out just very little chilly compared to the days before, a nice ride to the Camp. Some good news, the still in place attire politics seams to get re-thinked at higher level, but some of it may remain -- however, it is getting acceptable as it looks like.

PyZahl today made some good progress TeXing up things...

And made it today just in time out of the North gate and ad hoc decided to stop by at Wading River Beach for a few laps of swimming in the Sound. The water is still perfect and just comfortable warm.

Here he is having a snack to do the ride home after the swim...


The last rays of sun are grazing over the table just shortly before setting.

Sunday's Ride into the Wind - EBs S

The birds ride went out on the EBs South Route (click for ride data) today. On Dune Road a steady 15-20mph North wind was blowing -- good cross wind with a good amount of head wind component on Dune Rd... As the group turned onto Dune Rd it took a while until they picked up some speed. Several attempts of a constant rotation in a double line to fight the wind were disrupted by what so ever -- riders not aware what was going on, not able or willing to move up to the front quick or some uselessly trying to pull longer... PyZahl was all the time on Dune Rd pretty much in the front of the pack with a few rotating riders help pulling the peloton. They managed still a Dune Rd average speed of 25mph :-) The bridge at the end of Dune Rd pointed them directly into the wind and on the downhill side they almost got blown up again... A regrouping shortly after that and wait up for a fat stop behind.

A few more fast runs over the hills at The Great Peconic Bay until the deserved Deli stop at the so very scenic 7-11...


It followed a good paced ride back, more work at the front, done.

What a great day! Picture perfect riding weather.

Peru: Villagers fall ill after meteorite crash

VILLAGERS in southern Peru have been struck by a mysterious illness after a meteorite made a fiery crash to Earth in their area. Full Story

Setting Sun over the Camp

Views at end of a normal working day.


Update on Camp politics: - none - this can only tell PyZahl one thing: there is no real interest (and why should it?) in the well being of the folks getting things done.

Normal Procedure

As every Sunday, also this is a Early Birds day :-) PyZahl's new gearing worked so smooth and nice, he wonders why he rode so long with that crappy temporary cassette and chain, he will not do it again.

The North Route was due today:


The day started out great, clear, sunny and a little chilly and high temps were supposed to just reach 63F at the time of return, so PyZahl put one long sleeved shirt and knickers, about like this:

... and indeed this worked just fine and comfortable. However no funny cap, just a helmet and MTB gloves ...

At the Deli stop.

A really great way to start the day...

Review of the last days and the Camp

A rainy night and morning. A good day for getting some things done as go shopping for stocking up PyZahl's nuts, seeds, Cliff and Luna bars and other specialty food storage.

A good recovery day.
A good dinner.
A good bike service day:
Tarmac odometer reads 17301 km,
new cassette and chain.

_
* - *
^^

Review of last days, one more view of MIT,

view of the shiny new CFN at the Camp,

and the NSLS accross,
** Camp politics update: no attire rule changes, lp&lss o-( **
** rumors about rethinking, may take forever O-( **

and PyZahl's favorite Beach at one of his just before sun set swim and rides home...

a few awesome late summer days are gone...

EBs S Flight

Sunday Morning's regular Early Birds flight on the South route (84 km) -- procedure as usual, good moving today (2h17). They averaged 45.5 km/h on Dune Road (14 flat kilometers), with on top speed of 53 km/h, just great.

Later on PyZahl did a short ride to the WR beach and enjoyed the later afternoon with friends.

Back on -- RP2IPBP ride

Last minute notice on SBRA Phorum 09-08-07 01:26:

I'll start this "RP2IPBP" ride again with a few modifications, may add a few more climbs (hill sprints), then fast more or less flat ride, stop at Iron Pear Beach Park and add a stop at Wading River Beach for swimming a few laps almost at the end of the ride, so bring a small towel.

Bring plenty of water.

Meet 8:30am at Tilda's, Rocky Point, parking in the back of Tildas (on Broadway inbetween 25A & 25A bypass).



That decided the night before, PyZahl got up in time and meet M. at Tildas, obviously no other rider showed up, was a very little last minute announcement and may be too late for some, but there was a excuse, he had a Pizza Party w friends from the Camp @ Casa Mia and 'n Apples to Apples game little late into the night (or morning).

Ready to roll... PyZahl navigated a few more climbs at the start of the ride, as it was still comfortable out there, not too hot yet, but humid.

That hilly laps done M and Py headed east on the old route to IPBP.


Little break out there. Watching the very little happening out there, how typical, people coming in cars to the beach, engine idling, AC on, may be a window open, they seams like stuck on the car seat -- watching the water (or what so ever out of the window) for a couple of minutes -- and backing off again. That must be an American thing. PyZahl does not get it.

Moving on, Deli stop to refill fluids and 1/2 Muffin for M and Py. Some hammering towards Mill Rd, little hilly some wind, who cares....


Back in Wading River, WR Beach. Some relaxed swimming and chilln' in the sun, then finishing the ride back to RP.

Camp attire politics and big brother

PyZahl does not really know what to say. Things seam to get out of control.

D2R2 2007 Update

Now PyZahl knows why there was almost no rider around on the ride later on...

As the D2R2 180k Results are out, taken from Newhorizonbikes site (search for D2R2 results) and sorted this looks like this table. Only 56 riders finished the "180k" out of 111 started riders, 22 did not started or showed up at all.

At the Finish of the 180k -- together with fellow riders at about 6:20pm:

Ken, Phil, Keith, Percy

PyZahl GPS Track Log (some missing mi and ft):
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3763626

See also the overview pages of all photos with comments below the photos:
http://www.kasinonet.ch/bike/cpg133/thumbnails.php?album=108

*** Again ***

This was an extraordinary ride, close or at PyZahl's limits. Especially with that hot weather in place. But he loved it, lets do it again, and optimized it.... there is room, as this time he took it easy and had long breaks (moving time was little over 9:45) and many wait up's and had his big camera (this will stay)...

And special thanks to all the organizers and volunteers and secret water stop volunteers along the route... if you want to figure out your limits, that is the tour to do -- you have to do it, to get the idea of it and what it means, to ride almost 200km on dirt with over 4200m of elevation gain!

Sunday EBs and Escape from the Island

Last Sunday PyZahl rode again with the birds a flying speed north route, nothing in particular special to say.

That done, he took off to the Orient Pt. to New London ferry boat to visit AK and meet more old friends in Cambridge. The next day they spend at Rockport, just a few impressions -- yes, no bikes here.

Rockport harbour

Tourism.....

Color

... and a little further north, the Atlantic at the Quarry

Fishing Ducks

And, well, sorry, a little bit bike: